Cancer productus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cancer productus |
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The red rock crab (scientific name: Cancer productus) is a type of crab that lives along the western coast of North America. It's one of several crabs known as "red rock crabs."
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What Does It Look Like?
The red rock crab has a hard outer shell called a carapace. This shell can grow up to 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) wide. The widest part of its shell is usually at the back.
This crab has strong, large pincers. These pincers have special black tips, which help you tell them apart from other crabs. Adult red rock crabs are a brick-red color all over. But young crabs can look very different! They might be white, have red spots, or even be striped like a zebra.
Crabs That Look Alike
It can be tricky to tell the red rock crab apart from other crabs. Here are a few similar ones:
- The Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) does not have black tips on its claws.
- The graceful rock crab (Metacarcinus gracilis) also lacks black tips on its claws.
- The pygmy rock crab (Glebocarcinus oregonensis) has black-tipped claws, but its shell has large bumps on it. It's also much smaller than a red rock crab.
- The Cancer pagurus crab looks very similar. However, it lives in different parts of the world, so you won't find them in the same places.
Where Do They Live?
Red rock crabs live all the way from Kodiak Island, Alaska, down to Isla San Martine in Baja California. They can be found in shallow waters near the shore, from the middle of the tide pools down to about 79 meters (260 feet) deep.
How Do They Live?
Red rock crabs are carnivorous, meaning they eat meat. In places like Puget Sound, they use their big pincers to crush and eat barnacles. They also eat small living crabs and dead fish.
Mating happens when the female crab's shell is soft, usually from October to June in Puget Sound. During this time, you might see a male crab guarding a female until she molts (sheds her old shell). The red rock crab is also a favorite meal for the giant Pacific octopus, Enteroctopus dofleini.
Fishing for Red Rock Crabs
People catch red rock crabs for both sport and commercial fishing, especially in California. The California rock crab fishery includes red rock crabs, yellow rock crabs, and brown rock crabs.
Red rock crabs are not caught as much as Dungeness crabs because they have less meat. However, their meat is known for having a delicate and slightly sweet taste. In Washington, you can harvest both male and female red rock crabs if their shell is bigger than 5 inches (about 12.7 cm) and it's the right season.
